NEWS - April 2004
Cick on date
for story
John Wayne Airport News Release, April 30, 2004
"John Wayne Airport
Passenger Levels Remain Robust"
El Toro Info Site Report, April 30, 2004
Norby plans ahead
to second term
Press Enterprise, April 29, 2004
"Airport updating
its long-range plan "
OC Register, April 29, 2004
"Cox seeks base
information"
OC Register, April 29, 2004
"Great Park advocated as new county fair site"
LA Times, April 28, 2004
"Final Hahn
LAX Plan to Be Released"
El Toro Info Site report, April 27, 2004
Newport has an
issue with Irvine over lack of park space
LA Times, April 26, 2004
"Some See
Winner in Hollywood Park Move"
"Idea is in
exploratory stages. But Inglewood, at least, is eager to find uses for
racetrack's 237 acres."
Daily Pilot, April 24, 2004
"Fairgrounds may
move to Great Park"
El Toro Info Site report, April 23, 2004
ALUC Untouchables
El Toro Info Site Report, April 22, 2004
Navy and Irvine
meet
El Toro Info Site Report, April 21, 2004 10:30 AM
What the Judge said
OC Register, April 21, 2004
Irvine's
Great Park plan gets initial environmental approval
OC Register, April 19, 2004
"Inland airports
beckon O.C."
OC Register, April 19, 2004
"El Toro airport backers cling to hope"
LA Times, April 18, 2004
"LAX Contract
Prompts Questions"
Daily Breeze, April 17, 2004
"Hahn's missteps on
LAX analyzed"
El Toro Info Site Report, April 16, 2004
Airport Land Use
Commission remains obstinate
Laguna Beach Coastline News, April 16, 2004
"Low rumble
overhead"
LA Times, April 15, 2004
"Official Offers
Alternative LAX Proposal"
LA Daily News, April 14, 2004
"Hahn backs
Antelope Valley rail route"
Daily Pilot, April 14, 2004
"Airport debate
reaching new altitudes"
LA Times, April 14, 2004
"LAX Officials Ask
FAA to Probe System Failure"
El Toro Info Site report, April 10, 2004
Population growth
by county
Daily Pilot, April 8, 2004
"Airport
Working Group not giving up"
LA Times, April 8, 2004
"Modified LAX
Plan on Hahn's Radar?"
Irvine
World News, April 7, 2004 - updated
"Newport Beach wants to get ‘warm and fuzzy’"
Daily Pilot, April 7, 2004
"Long lessons
learned: Airport fight not over"
El Toro Info Site report, April 6, 2004
LA Airport Board
President resigns
El Toro Info Site report, April 6, 2004
Some suggestions
for Newport Beach
Daily Pilot, Editorial April 4, 2004
"Mending fences
easier in tandem"
Daily Breeze, April 3, 2004
"LAX panel chief's
fate will be left in his own hands"
LA Times, April 2, 2004
"Long-Range
Transit Plan Is Approved"
El Toro Info Site Report, April 1, 2004
Diehards won't let
go of El Toro
Click here for
previous news stories
John Wayne Airport News Release, April 30, 2004
"John Wayne Airport
Passenger Levels Remain Robust"
"John Wayne Airport passenger levels continued to rise at a steady pace
as 759,365 travelers passed through the Thomas F. Riley Terminal in
March 2004. This 15.7% increase over March 2003 continues a
string of consecutive months with record setting passenger levels."
Airport Director Alan Murphy attributed the increase to Orange County's
environment and to "customer accessible amenities such as adjacent
parking facilities and a pedestrian friendly terminal."
Website Editor: Los Angeles Mayor
Hahn, please take note as you consider making LAX less accessible.
Click here for the FAA's 1999 forecast of
JWA's 2004 utilization, which will be close to the mark.
El Toro
Info Site Report, April 30, 2004
Norby plans ahead
to second term
Chris Norby campaigned for supervisor in anti-El Toro territory with a
slogan urging voters to "count to three." His victory over Cynthia Coad
gave the anti-airport side its first crucial 3-2 majority on the Board
of Supervisors.
Without Norby, the County would face the chaos of Measure W in force
but Smith-Silva-and Coad lobbying, delaying and subverting the base
conversion to non-aviation use. Smith and Silva supported LA's effort to
take over El Toro and invited the federal government to bypass W -
but by then they were no longer the Board majority.
Norby is planning a run for a second term in 2006 with a kick off
fundraiser:
What:
Norwegian Independence Day celebration
When: May 20, 5:30-7:30 PM
Where: Tate Building, 701 N.
Parkcenter, Santa Ana
Who: For reservations, call
Laura Cunningham, 714-937-1005
How much: $250 with checks to
Norby for Supervisor, mailed to Norby for Supervisor, 214 N. Yale Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92831
Press
Enterprise, April 29, 2004
"Airport updating
its long-range plan "
"Although much work remains on an updated master plan for San Bernardino International Airport,
initial projections call for the former military base to handle as many
as 2.5 million passengers and nearly 750,000 tons of cargo by 2023,
according to statistics released Wednesday."
"The airport, which includes much of the land that was the former
Norton Air Force Base, does not have regularly scheduled commercial air
service now, although airport officials are negotiating with a company
that wants to ferry tourists to and from the Las Vegas area several
times a week."
"Given that lack of service now, it might seem difficult to imagine
nearly 400,000 passengers and 410,000 tons of cargo flowing through the
airport's empty terminal by 2008, as called for in a rough forecast
shown Wednesday to the San Bernardino International Airport Authority."
More . . .
Website Editor: What about SCAG's bold forecast
that SBD will serve 8.7 MAP by 2030?
OC
Register, April 29, 2004
"Cox seeks base
information"
"Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Newport Beach, has sent two letters to the Defense
Department seeking more information about matters at the former El
Toro Marine Air Station."
"He asked about the department's decision to close the El Toro
commissary and he wants more information on the suitability of using
vacant housing at the closed base for active military personnel."
"The Department of Defense had considered allowing military families
from Camp Pendleton to live in the El Toro houses but later decided
against it. The government said the housing would be too costly to
renovate and the commute would be too long, according to a news release
sent out by Cox's office."
More from the Daily Pilot . . .
OC
Register, April 29, 2004
"Great Park
advocated as new county fair site"
"Proposed move to
Irvine strikes 'sour note' in Costa Mesa."
"The idea - to move
the Orange County Fair & Exposition Center to the proposed Great
Park in Irvine - was floated by Assemblyman John Campbell,
R-Irvine, as a way of generating revenue to offset the state's budget
deficit. Campbell, along with various legislators and Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's office, is looking into selling off several
state-owned properties, including a golf course and the Los Angeles
Coliseum."
"Selling the 150-acre fairgrounds in Costa Mesa could net about $200
million."
"Moving the entire site to Irvine would be costly and complex, said
Fair and Exposition Center CEO Becky Bailey-Findley, who first learned
of the idea last week. Bailey-Findley works with a nine-member,
governor-appointed board to run the fairgrounds, which has been in
Orange County for 112 years and made its home in Costa Mesa about 50
years ago."
"An extension of the fairgrounds in the form of a historical ranch and
community programs already has been proposed for the Great Park,
Bailey-Findley said."
"Costa Mesa City Manager Alan Roeder said the city has not taken a
stance, but the idea 'strikes a sour note.'"
"Orange County Great Park board director and Irvine Councilman Chris
Mears said the fair would be a welcome component of the park."
Click for the entire story, followed by
Daily Pilot editorial and reader reaction, mostly negative . . .
LA
Times, April 28, 2004
"Final Hahn
LAX Plan to Be Released"
"The City Council
is not expected to adopt the $9-billion proposal in its present form."
"Mayor James K. Hahn will release his final plan to remodel aging Los
Angeles International today with little fanfare . . . The release is a
milestone for city officials, who have spent $126 million devising a
plan to remake the airport to satisfy the sometimes conflicting goals
of nearby residents, airlines and lawmakers."
"But before the ink had even dried on Hahn's 36,464-page proposal,
there was general agreement at City Hall that the plan had small chance
of winning City Council approval in its present form."
"Officials made only minor alterations to the mayor's proposal in
response to 3,200 comments submitted by the public." More . . .
El Toro
Info Site report, April 27, 2004
Newport has an
issue with Irvine over lack of park space
Tonight's Newport Beach City Council agenda
includes a proposal to send a letter to the City of Irvine expressing
concerns about a commercial development in the Irvine Business Complex.
The project, to include 1380 residential units, is located in Irvine on
the former Parker-Hannifin site, south of Interstate 405, west of
Jamboree Road, north of Michelson Road and easterly of Von Karman
Avenue. It includes park space along with residential and commercial
uses.
Commenting on perceived deficiencies in a Supplemental Draft
Environmental Impact Report for the project, Newport Beach staff
reports:
The DSEIR also notes that Irvine
residents may enjoy substantial regional recreational opportunities
including parks and beaches in the City of Newport Beach.
However, the DSEIR fails to analyze the Project’s impacts on such
resources in the City of Newport Beach.
Further, the DSEIR proposes a park plan including one 2.62 acre
centrally located park and three 0.33 acre parks distributed around the
project (a total of 3.01 acres of parks). This falls well below the
City of Irvine standard of 5 acres of parks for each 1000 residents.
The DSEIR appears to rely on large regional parks within the City to
satisfy the Project recreational requirements.
The Project’s proposed parks have limited features. The closest lighted
park with extensive fields is the City of Newport Beach’s Bonita Creek
Community Park, which is currently heavily used by Newport Beach
residents. As indicated above, the DSEIR should be revised, a new or
subsequent EIR developed which addresses these concerns and ensures
that the Project will have no significant and unmitigated impacts on
recreational resources, including an analysis of impacts on parks
within the City of Newport Beach, and any appropriate mitigation.
Website Editor: We never realized that Newport Beach was so in favor of
more park space in Irvine. AWG anti-Great Park rhetoric frequently
referred to the shortage of parks in North County and an alleged
surplus in South County.
LA
Times, April 26, 2004
"Some See
Winner in Hollywood Park Move"
"Idea is in
exploratory stages. But Inglewood, at least, is eager to find uses for
racetrack's 237 acres."
"For Irvine, a racetrack at the former El Toro Marine base would
bolster its hopes to transform the closed base into a giant park
surrounded by homes, offices and stores . . . . Irvine officials have
warmed to the idea of letting Hollywood Park's owners reinvent the
facility on the former base, a locale that would showcase horse racing
along with concerts, expositions and other events catering to a younger
and more affluent clientele."
"In Inglewood, some track old-timers lament the prospect of losing the
66-year-old institution that opened during Hollywood's golden era. But
city officials are upbeat about the possibility of a move, which would
open the track's 237 acres to retail development that could double its
current tax take."
"The U.S. Navy, which owns the [El Toro] property, is finishing
environmental work necessary to auction the land, expected to take
place in late fall. The base is to be sold off in quarters, and
businesses like a racetrack must form a partnership with winning
bidders."
"Officials at Hollywood Park and Churchill Downs Inc., headquartered in
Kentucky, have declined to comment on the possibility of moving the
track and selling the Inglewood facility." Click for
more . . .
Daily
Pilot, April 24, 2004
"Fairgrounds may
move to Great Park"
" The state-owned Orange County Fairgrounds would be sold and
fair operations relocated to the planned Great Park at the closed El
Toro Marine Air Base under a proposal by 70th District Assemblyman John
Campbell to help balance the state budget."
"Campbell pitched the idea Friday in an e-mail newsletter sent to
constituents. He estimates the 170-acre property could fetch as much as
$300 million. Legislators are considering the sale of other state-owned
properties including the L.A. Coliseum and San Francisco's Cow Palace
to fill budget holes."
"Fair officials are interested in being part of the Great Park, but
only to add to the facilities they have in Costa Mesa . . . The fair
board has considered building a 35-acre horse ranch at the Great Park."
"Campbell said if people are interested in the plan he'd like to get it
into this year's budget, but movement on it could be slow because
hammering out the details of the Great Park and selling state lands
will take some time." More . . .
El Toro
Info Site report, April 23, 2004
ALUC Untouchables
Gerald Bresnahan and Ron Prost represent the publicly owned John Wayne
and Fullerton Airports on the Airport Land Use Commission. Both
favor a commercial airport at El Toro and block every effort to rescind the obsolete
airport-related land use restrictions around the former base. The
majority of the Board of Supervisors wants the El Toro land use
restrictions lifted but Bresnahan and Prost refuse to comply.
Moreover, they are untouchable, with no one in County government
seemingly able to remove them from the commission, even when their
terms expire.
According to Board of Supervisors Chairman Tom Wilson's office, the
situation works like this: The John Wayne and Fullerton Airport ALUC
representatives are selected by the two airports' managers, who are
Alan Murphy for JWA and Prost himself for Fullerton. Unless Murphy and
Prost both agree to replace JWA's Bresnahan, a stalemate occurs and
nothing happens. It takes two votes or the status quo continues.
Even if Murphy supports the position of the supervisors, we are told
that he is powerless to remove the contrary-minded Bresnahan as his
airport's rep without Prost's agreement.
It's very hard to believe but apparently Murphy can't control who
represents the airport that he runs for the County.
If Murphy were to oppose El Toro supporter Prost's reappointment when
the latter's term expires soon on May 1, Prost could vote for himself,
create a 1-1 stalemate, and keep the position until a successor is
chosen. Apparently Prost can't be replaced unless Prost agrees.
Therefore Prost gets to control two rep positions, Fullerton's and John
Wayne's. Murphy and the Board of Supervisors seemingly control neither
of them.
The breakdown on the commission and who appoints them under state law
is as follows:
Voting to keep the El Toro
restrictions:
Gerald Bresnahan, Chairman, Selected by JWA and Fullerton Airport
Managers
Ron Prost, Vice-Chairman, Selected by JWA and Fullerton Airport Managers
Patty Campbell, Seal Beach Mayor and rep to OCRAA, Selected by the
League of Cities
Don Webb, Newport Beach City Councilman, Selected by the League of
Cities
Herman Beverberg, Public member, Selected by the other ALUC members
Voting to remove the El Toro
restrictions:
Denny Harrris, Selected by the Board of Supervisors
Tom O'Malley, Selected by the Board of Supervisors
El Toro
Info Site Report, April 22, 2004
Navy and Irvine
meet
Wayne Arny, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Installations and
Facilities, was in town yesterday meeting with City of Irvine officials
regarding the scheduling of the land sale at El Toro. Efforts are being
made to work through issues that are delaying the release of the
Requests for Bids.
El Toro
Info Site Report, April 21, 2004 11:00
AM
What the Judge said
The full text of Judge Jameson's Minute Order is retyped for
website publication. It provides a good look at the flavor of the
judge's conclusions and the weakness of the AWG's case against the
Great Park EIR.
"The Court finds that the project description is neither misleading nor
inadequate."
"Contrary to Petitioners [AWG]; argument, the Proposed Development
Agreement does not permit the City and or developers to increase the
limitation on development."
"Petitioners fail to provide any evidence to support their argument
that the Project cannot be developed absent developer financing."
"Although the Petitioners allege in their Petition that the EIR fails
to
address the project's noise impacts, they have failed to put forth any
argument or evidence in support of this allegation."
"The Respondents [City of Irvine] Motion for judgement on the Petition
for Writ of Mandate brought by Airport Working Group of Orange County,
Inc. is granted in full, with the exception of the [AWG] challenge to
the Respondents' determination on the issue of hazardous materials. The
Court has requested additional briefing on this issue."
The Judge's Minute Order looks like a defeat of the delaying tactics of
the AWG and Barbara Lichman. Principally, Judge Jameson is requesting
more information regarding the Navy's Findings of Suitability to Lease
(FOSL) program. This covers parcels that are not yet fully cleaned up
and therefore not covered by a Finding of Suitability for Sale (FOSS)
See more below.
OC
Register, April 21, 2004 - updated
Irvine's
Great Park plan gets initial environmental approval
But judge asks
city for procedures on handling disputes.
"An Orange County Superior Court judge has upheld the key elements of
Irvine's Great Park environmental impact report but asked the city how
it will handle problems that may arise on land not yet environmentally
cleansed."
"Judge Robert Jameson on Friday directed the city to submit procedures
for how disputes will be handled if, for example, unexpected toxins are
found on the old El Toro air base on land that is being rented pending
completion of cleanup work. In selling old bases, the military often
leases parcels where environmental scrubbing is under way. The land is
sold when the work is complete. The Navy is responsible for cleaning up
El Toro."
"The city pronounced itself pleased with Jameson's decision, as did the
Airport Working Group, which had challenged the report."
"Mayor Larry Agran, [said] that the city would promptly provide the
mitigation plans. The city must respond to the judge within 10 days."
"Still to be settled is an AWG challenge of Irvine's pending annexation
of the former base. That lawsuit raises essentially the same issues as
the group's litigation against the environmental report – that it
inadequately addressed the dust and pollution that would be generated
by demolition of old buildings on the base and the 900 acres of
concrete run ways, taxiways, aircraft parking and building pads."
Website Editor: The judge' finding,
which came in the form of a Minute Order, is good news for airport
opponents. The AWG sought to have the EIR rejected by the court. Had
they succeeded, it would have had to be redone and recirculated for
public review - a process that would have delayed the sale by many
months.
OC
Register, April 19, 2004
"Inland airports
beckon O.C."
"Three lonely inland airports have a message for Orange County: Forget
El Toro. Bring us your passengers, your cargo, your jet-noise concerns."
"San Bernardino International Airport's passenger terminal is complete,
the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville plans an
ambitious rail complex, and March Air Reserve Base near Riverside
appeals even to San Diego as a future airport."
"The big question for O.C.: If the outlying airports do lure airlines,
how will O.C. passengers get there?"
"High-speed rail will cost billions and take years to build, but some
experts say passenger-departure terminals could be built in O.C. and
travelers bused to planeside."
The Register provides an in depth look at the inland airports with a
companion full-page article on
Taking flight in
the east.
OC
Register, April 19, 2004
"El Toro airport
backers cling to hope"
Recycling an old story
the Register writes, "In remarks at the 21st anniversary of the Airport
Working Group earlier this month, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher urged members
of the pro-El Toro airport group to soldier on - an airport at El Toro
is still possible."
"Later, Rohrabacher said the failure to create an El Toro airport is a
'story of unbending selfishness. A $2 billion asset squandered for fear
it would add one decibel of noise. It's a triumph of NIMBYism.'" Website Editor: They used to claim it was
a $10 billion asset.
"Rohrabacher said that after the November elections, it might be more
politically possible to generate support for an El Toro airport."
Irvine Mayor Larry Agran "noted that the old base is now within the
city of Irvine and that the Navy has said it plans to proceed with
auctioning the old base this fall." Website
Editor: That sounds like more schedule slippage by the Navy.
The Airport Working Group acknowledges that reviving interest in
an El Toro airport would require a miracle.
LA
Times, April 18, 2004
"LAX Contract
Prompts Questions"
"For more than a quarter century, when the city of Los Angeles needed
advice on how to run its airports, officials turned to John F. Brown
Co. The Cincinnati-based consulting firm has helped redesign passenger
lounges and develop cargo hangars, negotiated with airlines on the
airport's behalf, even helped decide whether the city should sell LAX."
"Then, on Jan. 6, 2003, Brown was cut off. Moving toward giving the
company a new $1.5-million contract without competitive bidding,
airport officials abruptly decided another consultant should do the
work."
"As local and federal prosecutors probe contracting at Los Angeles
World Airports, the Port of Los Angeles and the city's Department of
Water and Power, the story of how Brown almost won and then lost its
management contract helps explain why questions linger about business
practices at the world's fifth-busiest airport." More . . .
Website Editor: This strikes a chord
with us because we still are waiting for the results of a 2001 passenger study
conducted at LAX and Ontario. The original contractor was paid the
contract total of $500,000 but dismissed before the report was
completed. A second contractor was hired a year and a half ago for an
additional $50,000 to complete the report but it has yet to be released.
Daily
Breeze, April 17, 2004
"Hahn's missteps on
LAX analyzed"
LA Mayor James Hahn's "$9 billion-plus plan he proposed for LAX
accomplished something that many people once thought impossible: It
drove airlines and residents -- two groups with seemingly opposite
interests -- into bed with one another."
"Critics identify a litany of flaws with Hahn's LAX Master Plan
approach, ranging from the people he chose to promote it to his
inflexibility in considering modifications. But all agreed that his
greatest mistake was developing the plan without first soliciting input
from major stake holders, especially airlines
and surrounding residents and businesses. "
"'It was done in a vacuum, without coordination of any sort with the
real community,' said Westchester resident Denny Schneider . . . 'Their
initial approach was we're going to do it and we're going to tell you
what we're going to do for you. ... They never wanted to hear what we
had to say.'"
Website Editor: Click here to read the
entire editorial. We can't help
think how many parallels there are to the previous Orange County
approach to El Toro. Surrounding residents hated it and not a single
airline signed on to the proposed two-airport concept for
John Wayne and El Toro.
El Toro
Info Site Report, April 16, 2004
Airport Land Use
Commission remains obstinate
The Airport Land Use Commission spent a substantial amount of time
Thursday afternoon on a review of the City of Aliso Viejo's General
Plan. The plan was amended in order to bring the City into compliance
with ALUC's obsolete El Toro Airport Environs Land Use Plan.
Commissioner Tom O'Malley, a Board of Supervisors appointee to ALUC, scolded the
commission for wasting public funds by requiring the plan
amendments in Aliso Viejo and then spending commission staff time on
verifying compliance with out-of-date El Toro restrictions. He noted
that SCAG, in coordination with the FAA, had removed El Toro from the
Regional Transportation Plan.
The County removed the avigation easements over residences in the City
after cancellation of plans for an airport at El Toro. ALUC remains the
only governmental agency clinging to the airport proposal.
Alternate Commission Len Kranser submitted a letter to the commission,
questioning whether they had legal authority to impose land use
restrictions around El Toro. The California Public Utilities Code
authorizes the ALUC to set restrictions around airports, which are
defined in the code [21013] as places where aircraft either "land or
are intended to land". El Toro fits neither the use nor intention
criterion.
Unfortunately, County Counsel, when asked by Supervisor Tom Wilson,
avoided taking a firm stand in support of the position that El Toro no
longer meets PUC conditions.
Laguna Beach
Coastline News, April 16, 2004
"Low rumble
overhead"
"Flights out of John Wayne Airport take off headed out to sea until
released by the Federal Aeronautics Administration to turn back over
land. Following the closure of the U.S. Marine Air Base at El Toro,
some commercial airliners began flying over Laguna Beach at an
appreciably lower altitude, making the inland turn earlier, which saves
time and fuel. Residents were told that new technology made the earlier
release possible."
"City officials and residents complained to the Federal Aviation
Administration and to the noise complaint office at John Wayne Airport.
They were told that flight patterns had not been altered."
"Mayor Cheryl Kinsman and City Manager Ken Frank appealed to
Congressman Christopher Cox for support in their quest to convince the
FAA to stop the low flights."
"People who are annoyed by the low flights can call the John Wayne
noise abatement number, 252-5185, and the FAA Noise Hotline for the
Western Region at (310) 725-3638, or write FAA Regional Administrator,
P.O. Box 92007, Los Angeles Ca., 90009."
Website Editor: A John Wayne flight
tracker is available to show the route and height of each plane in real
time. Click for the link.
The most recent John Wayne Noise
Abatement Program quarterly report for the 3-month period ending
December 31, 2003 records 12 complaints from Laguna Beach. Balboa
Island had 18, Newport Beach 14, Santa Ana, Eastbluff and Costa Mesa
each had 13.
LA
Times, April 15, 2004
"Official Offers
Alternative LAX Proposal"
"City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski disclosed details Wednesday of a
compromise plan for modernizing Los Angeles International Airport that
would cost a fraction of Mayor James K. Hahn's $9-billion makeover and
leave the existing airport largely intact."
"Her plan calls for a far more modest modernization, costing roughly $3
billion. It would push the most controversial elements of Hahn's
blueprint — including a passenger check-in center near the San Diego
Freeway — off to a second phase that would proceed only after an
extensive public review."
"Her plan is similar to proposals suggested by influential business
groups, several airlines and nearby communities."
"But the unusual method that Miscikowski would use to implement her
proposal has raised alarm bells among the very groups that the
councilwoman is trying to placate."
"To work within existing environmental studies, Miscikowski suggests
that the council approve Hahn's plan and send it to the Federal
Aviation Administration for review."
"Her LAX proposal would be spelled out in what is known as the specific
plan — a planning document required under city law, she said. The
specific plan, she said, details what projects the city is allowed to
build in the LAX area."
Website Editor: The situation had
parallels in Orange County where the Board of
Supervisors approved an EIR for a 28.8 MAP El Toro airport but sought to placate
residents by approving construction of 18.8 MAP.
Click for more.
LA Daily
News, April 14, 2004
"Hahn backs
Antelope Valley rail route"
"Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn urged state officials Tuesday to select
an Antelope Valley route for the California High Speed Rail Project . .
. The mayor's statement was provided to the California High-Speed Rail
Authority, which held a public hearing on its draft environmental
report. The $37 billion project calls for running electric trains at
200 mph between Northern and Southern California, connecting major
cities and airports."
"A key issue is whether the Bakersfield-to-Los Angeles route should
follow the 5 Freeway corridor or the 14 Freeway to Palmdale through the
Antelope Valley."
Hahn "said, it would serve to provide relief for Los Angeles
International Airport by moving travelers to other facilities such as
Palmdale Regional Airport, located on land leased by the city of Los
Angeles from the U.S. Air Force."
Click for two news stories on this
subject.
Website Editor: Competing for
transportation funds with the north-south California High Speed Rail
Project, the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission proposes a
Maglev route between Orange County and Las Vegas. The Southern
California Association of Governments is promoting a third plan for
several Maglev routes connecting airports and cities in its region.
The long distance routes to Northern
California and the Nevada have potential to alleviate a portion of future air travel
demand. The SCAG project's focus is more on moving people to outlying airports in its
region.
Daily
Pilot, April 14, 2004
"Airport
debate reaching new altitudes"
"AT ISSUE: Airport
Working Groups quest to continue to fight for an airport at the former
El Toro Marine Air Base, despite various blows to their campaign."
Website Editor: The judge who expected to rule during the first week of March on the
Airport Working Group's lawsuit against Irvine's Great Park
Environmental Impact Report has yet to be heard from. The Navy's
environmental experts are meeting with state Environmental
Protection Agency staff to resolve cleanup issues. The Navy and City of
Irvine are still talking about the schedule. There is no word on when
the auction will begin.
To fill the long weeks of no visible action, the Daily Pilot provides
ink to participants of all stripes to pump up the debate over the
deflated El Toro airport plan. Today we read letters from anti-airport
activist Dave Kirkey and V-plan backer Charles Griffin. Click here.
LA
Times, April 14, 2004
"LAX Officials Ask
FAA to Probe System Failure"
"Los Angeles International Airport officials on Tuesday demanded that
the Federal Aviation Administration investigate why a momentary power
outage caused radar and communications systems at the control tower to
malfunction, delaying nearly 100 incoming flights."
"Though the FAA said its contingency plans mostly worked during
Monday's power failure, airport administrators and air-traffic
controllers expressed alarm that some equipment took up to five hours
to start working again."
"Tower controllers on duty during the power outage said they had never
seen a system failure like it — even during the 1996 blackout that hit
much of the West Coast."
"Authorities believe that a bird stepping on an electrical line a few
blocks from LAX caused the power failure."
"Two backup power sources are supposed to activate immediately if
electricity to the airport is cut. The system is designed to prevent
the control tower from ever losing power by having backup batteries
ready."
"FAA technicians now believe that power went off in the control tower
and LAX administrative building because the backup batteries somehow
failed to turn on. The power loss, which lasted less than a second, was
enough to cause key equipment to shut down, said Donn Walker, an FAA
spokesman."
El
Toro Info Site report, April 10, 2004
Population growth
by county
The U.S. Census Bureau released 3-year growth data on Thursday. The
figures are from the Census Bureau's population estimates from April 1,
2000, to July 1 last year.
Not surprising to those who have been involved in the airport debate,
the Southern California growth rate was heavily skewed towards the
Inland Empire, though Los Angeles posted the biggest population
increase in the entire state.
County |
Population
increase, 4/1/00 to 7/1/03 |
Los Angeles |
352,176 |
Riverside |
237,263 |
San Bernardino |
150,244 |
San Diego |
117,053 |
Orange |
111,477 |
Ventura |
37,933 |
Orange was the slowest growing of the major counties. South O.C., which
El Toro advocates often irresponsibly accuse of being a principal
source of the region's growing aviation demand, is a minor factor in
the overall picture. Click for more population data.
Daily
Pilot, April 8, 2004
"Airport
Working Group not giving up"
"Dana Rohrabacher
is the keynote speaker at a meeting urging that the El Toro battle
isn't over yet."
"Members of a group that has fought the expansion of John Wayne Airport
and lobbied for an airport at the El Toro Marine Air Base on Wednesday
pledged to continue their fight for a second airport in Orange County."
"At the Airport Working Group's annual meeting held in the Newport
Beach Golf Club, group leaders said they will not fade away with the
voting down of the airport initiative."
"Regardless of the passage of Measure W, an airport in El Toro is an
issue which can be resurrected after the November election, said Rep.
Dana Rohrabacher, who delivered the keynote address on Wednesday."
"There is added hope with the city of Los Angeles running out of
options for LAX and San Diego realizing their slim chances of finding a
site for a second airport in its county, said attorney Barbara Lichman,
who represents the group. 'The good news is the runways are still there
in El Toro,' she said."
For more . . .
LA
Times, April 8, 2004
"Modified LAX
Plan
on Hahn's Radar?"
"Departures of 2
key officials may signal compromise from the mayor"
Two and half years after LA Mayor James K. Hahn "unveiled his
plan for a massive modernization of Los Angeles International Airport .
. . the plan has come under relentless criticism from surrounding
communities, major airlines and City Council members. And now, its two
leading champions have left Hahn's administration amid criminal probes
into the awarding of airport contracts."
"Many city leaders, including council members poised to consider the
$9-billion proposal, are saying that Hahn's plan — with its vast new
passenger check-in terminal — is dead on arrival."
"With the resignations of Airport Commission President Ted Stein on
Tuesday and Deputy Mayor Troy Edwards two weeks ago, Hahn appears to be
signaling that he is willing to consider changes to the project,
according to elected officials and community leaders."
"His plan was a major departure from that of his predecessor, Richard
Riordan, who envisioned vastly increasing LAX's passenger capacity.
Riordan's idea had run into opposition from nearby cities that feared
more jet noise, traffic and pollution."
"What a compromise plan will look like remains unclear."
"Plans being pushed by the airline industry and other business groups
would spend no more than $3 billion to remodel the Tom Bradley
International Terminal, expand a system of FlyAway bus centers, build a
consolidated rental car facility and move a southern runway closer to
El Segundo to decrease near misses between aircraft." Click for the entire article.
Website Editor: Hahn's election
campaign commitment to limit the capacity of LAX to 78 MAP is driving
SCAG's plan to shift large amounts of future air travel to other
airports. It is a plan that has drawn opposition from most airlines,
officials at Burbank and March, and skepticism elsewhere.
Irvine
World News, April 7, 2004 - updated
"Newport
Beach wants to get ‘warm and fuzzy’"
"Leaders reaching
hands across city borders"
"Irvine officials won’t be sore winners. That’s how Mayor Larry Agran
described the city’s possible partnership –– or at least renewed
dialogue –– with its longtime foe and political nemesis, Newport
Beach."
"Along with Agran, City Council members on both sides seem ready to let
bygones be bygones and quash the rivalry that formed out of the
decade-long fight over the 4,700-acre El Toro Marine Corps base."
"'They’re our neighbors and hopefully we’ll have a good working
relationship with them. There’s no reason we can’t,' said council
member Chris Mears."
"Newport council member Steve Bromberg said that the city wants to sit
down with Irvine officials to discuss issues such as development in the
Irvine Business Complex, which may generate traffic into Newport Beach.
'We’re gonna get warm and fuzzy (with Irvine),' said a chuckling
Bromberg."
"Irvine officials seem receptive to the idea."
The Newport Beach City Council resolution
to be voted on at the next council meeting apparently calls for a 5
member borders committee consisting of 3 councilmembers from Newport
Beach and 2 from Irvine.
Click here for the entire article which
gives no hint of what Irvine wants in return for talking about
Newport's traffic concerns. We offer suggestions in a website editorial
below, which also appeared as a letter in the Irvine paper.
Daily
Pilot, April 7, 2004
"Long lessons
learned: Airport fight not over"
Website Editor: Lest anyone reading the news stories of the last few
days think that Newport Beach has stopped fighting for an airport at El
Toro, we have today's historical perspective in a letter in the Daily
Pilot from long-time activist Dan Emory. Click here for his letter seeking to
rally the pro-El Toro troops that concludes:
"We can't make those kinds of mistakes again. The next battle will
assuredly be another Armageddon unless we're prepared to take off the
gloves and develop a hard-nosed, effective, multifaceted strategy now.
No more tax-exempt status [for the AWG] that bars political action and
fundraising for political purposes."
"It's never over till it's over."
El Toro
Info Site report, April 6, 2004
LA Airport Board
President resigns
Ted Stein, the embattled President of the
Los Angeles Airport Commission resigned today. Stein had been one
of the region's most powerful officials pushing for an airport at El
Toro.
With the departure of both Stein and former Deputy Mayor Tom Edwards,
and this week's approval
of SCAG's new Regional Transportation Plan, any momentum for a Los
Angeles-run airport at El Toro appears to be gone.
El Toro
Info Site report, April 6, 2004
Some suggestions
for Newport Beach
As the City Council of Newport Beach considers reaching out to the City of
Irvine we offer some suggestions. Don't just focus on what Newport
wants, which seems to be a voice in Irvine development bordering the
beach city and the resultant traffic.
How about:
Calling off the Airport Working Group dogs
who are suing Irvine. The AWG got $3.7 million from Newport Beach to
fight against Measure W and was never required to return the leftover
money despite feeble calls for them to do so from a council member or
two.
Directing Newport Beach's representative on the Airport Land Use
Commission to stop supporting the continuation of land use restrictions
around El Toro, which is no longer intended to be an airport. NPB Councilman Webb voted against even
agendizing a discussion on the subject at the last ALUC meeting.
Rescinding the city's aviation policy, which still
advocates an airport at El Toro.
Giving up the idea of unilateral Newport Beach control over John
Wayne airport. Irvine bears the brunt of the road traffic to the
airport. Furthermore, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana have significant
interest in what occurs at the airport and in its flight paths. JWA is
a county asset, not a pawn that Newport Beach should be allowed to
manipulate for its own benefit.
Daily
Pilot, Editorial April 4, 2004
"Mending fences
easier in tandem"
"Newport Beach and Irvine have had some bloody El Toro battles,
and the hard feelings are still evident among many. But there appears
to be hope that the Irvine/Newport Beach Borders Committee that Newport
Beach leaders want to create marks a long stride toward a less acidic
relationship."
"Residents who still want an airport at El Toro continue to say so in
letters to the editor, and they'll probably keep writing regardless of
unions between Newport and Irvine, which is fine. City leaders,
however, have a greater responsibility to move on — or at least move on
to other important issues. Irvine will be Newport's neighbor a lot
longer than residents will remain upset over the El Toro issue, as hard
as that might be to believe."
"Interest in forming the committee will be on Tuesday's City Council
agenda, and a favorable reception by council members would put the ball
in the Irvine council's court." More . . .
Daily
Breeze, April 3, 2004
"LAX panel chief's
fate will be left in his own hands"
"Despite criticism from inside City Hall and mounting pressure from two
grand jury investigations, Mayor James Hahn said Friday that he will
let Airport Commission President Ted Stein decide whether to continue
in his post."
"With prosecutors investigating Stein and his handling of airport
contracts, Hahn offered little defense of the man he picked to lead the
commission, which sets policy for Los Angeles International Airport and
three other city-owned airports."
"Questions regarding Stein's future were fueled last week by the
resignation of Deputy Mayor Troy Edwards, Hahn's top adviser on airport
issues. And Hahn's comments about Stein on Friday were muted compared
to one month ago, when the mayor praised Stein's LAX Master Plan work."
Click here for more.
Website Editor: Stein, as Vice-Chairman of SCAG's Aviation
Task Force, was a powerful El Toro Airport advocate. He and Edwards
co-authored the Los Angeles bid to take over and operate an airport at
the former Marine base.
LA Times,
April 2, 2004
"Long-Range
Transit Plan Is Approved
Regional agency's
$213-billion blueprint includes calls for major growth at smaller
airports, a magnetic-levitation railway and a higher gas tax."
"A Southern California government organization on Thursday adopted a
controversial long-range transportation plan that calls for dramatic
growth in the region's small airports, a magnetic-levitation train
system and more toll lanes on freeways, including the 710 and the 101."
"The plan was approved by an overwhelming majority of SCAG's regional
council of more than 40 elected officials representing Los Angeles,
Ventura, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial counties. But
it also drew some heated criticism."
"Charles Lombardo, president of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport
Authority, called the plan a 'scam' for projecting such high growth in
air traffic."
Website Editor: Adoption of the 2004
Regional Transportation Plan is another victory for El Toro opponents.
SCAG removed El Toro from the airport mix included in the previous 2001
plan.
Click here for more.
El
Toro Info Site Report, April 1, 2004
Diehards won't let
go of El Toro
Visit our Message Board's Early Bird thread
where today's offerings of Newport Beach pro-El Toro commentary and
diehard letters are posted. Also check out the Comments on SCAG's 2004 Regional
Transportation Plan Environmental Impact Report for signs of
lingering reluctance to let go of El Toro.
A good taste of how some outside of Orange County view us can be
found in the EIR comment letter from the City of El Segundo prepared by
the city's airport consultant Denny Zane of Urban Dimensions. (Zane
accompanied OC Supervisor Chuck Smith and El Segundo Mayor Mike Gordon
on a November 2002 Southern California Regional Airport Authority's junket to Germany.)
The February 6, 2004 El Segundo letter erroneously states, "Orange
County currently handles approximately one-third of its annual
passenger demand and less than one percent of its annual air cargo
demand at the County's only commercial airport, John Wayne Airport,
which is subject to long-term legal capacity limitations. The County
exports the overwhelming majority of its aviation demand to airports in
other counties, primarily LAX."
In fact, Orange County currently handles more than
half of its passenger demand at John Wayne.
The letter continues, "Without a second airport in Orange County an
additional 30,000 people in the region - in mostly low-income and
minority communities - will suffer the negative impacts of Orange
County's aviation demand. This transfer of environmental burden
from the mostly white affluent majority of south Orange County to the
low-income and minority communities of other counties is an obvious and
egregious violation of principles of environmental justice."
El Segundo's concern for minorities and disdain for the "mostly white"
majority of South Orange County is unconvincing coming from a city
which, according to the 2000 census, is 83.6 percent white.
The city's concern seems more to do with fighting LA's proposal to
improve airport operations by moving the south LAX runway just 50 feet
closer to El Segundo.
Click here for previous news stories